Lesson plan

First Folio

Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies is a collection of plays by William Shakespeare, commonly referred to by modern scholars as the First Folio, published in 1623, about seven years after Shakespeare's death. It is considered one of the most influential books ever published. Printed in folio format and containing 36 of Shakespeare's plays, it was prepared by Shakespeare's colleagues John Heminges and Henry Condell. It was dedicated to the "incomparable pair of brethren" William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, and his brother Philip Herbert, Earl of Montgomery (later 4th Earl of Pembroke). Although 19 of Shakespeare's plays had been published in quarto before 1623, the First Folio is arguably the only reliable text for about 20 of the plays, and a valuable source text for many of those previously published. Eighteen of the plays in the First Folio, including The Tempest, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Julius Caesar and Measure for Measure among others, are not known to have been previously printed. The Folio includes all of the plays generally accepted to be Shakespeare's, except the following plays which are believed likely to have been written, at least partly, by Shakespeare: Pericles, Prince of Tyre; The Two Noble Kinsmen; Edward III; and the two lost plays, Cardenio and Love's Labour's Won.…

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Article summary

Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies is a collection of plays by William Shakespeare, commonly referred to by modern scholars as the First Folio, published in 1623, about seven years after Shakespeare's death. It is considered one of the most influential books ever published. Printed in folio format and containing 36 of Shakespeare's plays, it was prepared by Shakespeare's colleagues John Heminges and Henry Condell. It was dedicated to the "incomparable pair of brethren" William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, and his brother Philip Herbert, Earl of Montgomery (later 4th Earl of Pembroke). Although 19 of Shakespeare's plays had been published in quarto before 1623, the First Folio is arguably the only reliable text for about 20 of the plays, and a valuable source text for many of those previously published. Eighteen of the plays in the First Folio, including The Tempest, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Julius Caesar and Measure for Measure among others, are not known to have been previously printed. The Folio includes all of the plays generally accepted to be Shakespeare's, except the following plays which are believed likely to have been written, at least partly, by Shakespeare: Pericles, Prince of Tyre; The Two Noble Kinsmen; Edward III; and the two lost plays, Cardenio and Love's Labour's Won.…

Key claims

  1. date of death: 1616-04-23 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  2. publication date: 1623 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  3. publication date: 1623 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  4. publication date: 1623 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  5. publication date: 1619 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  6. publication date: 1623 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the date of death is "1616-04-23". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. The record states that the publication date is "1623". What evidence would count against this claim?
  4. The record states that the publication date is "1623". What evidence would count against this claim?
  5. The record states that the publication date is "1623". What evidence would count against this claim?
  6. The record states that the publication date is "1619". What evidence would count against this claim?
  7. The record states that the publication date is "1623". What evidence would count against this claim?
  8. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  9. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1376569466

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.